“Launched after the Sept. 11 attacks on America, the campaign against militancy has suffered growing setbacks, including the recent disastrous attempt by thousands of security forces to win back Swat district in northwestern Pakistan. They have only lost more control.

On Tuesday the situation got worse, as hundreds of militants consolidated their grip on the Matta region of Swat. Dozens of troops and police manning four security posts gave up without a fight.

“The campaign against religious extremism has been a dismal failure, and that has nothing to do with civil society and the media. It is because the Pakistan military has not been able to cleanse itself of militant sympathizers,” Hasan said, referring to the historic involvement of Pakistan in supporting Islamists in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

In fact, many observers see Musharraf’s emergency declaration and swift move to replace its independent-minded judges not as a strategy to combat terrorism but a blatant tactic to prevent the Supreme Court ruling against his recent election victory. Critics say the vote was unconstitutional, as he contested while still army chief.”

More at the International Herald Tribune.

Comment:

I suppose in response to this, gold soared to $820 and the dollar plummeted to depths not seen since the 1970s. The only good news, besides Kucinich’s characteristically conscientious bid to impeach Cheney, which has now inched its way to the Judiciary Committee,

is Ron Paul’s surging campaign contributions – $4 million in a 24 hour period.